Betrayal and Recognition
by Danman10
Summary: After a painful break up, Clark decides to move to Metropolis. In progress
1. Betrayal

Part 1

The sun shone down brightly over the Kent Farm. Inside the farmhouse, Clark finished the last of his eggs and smiled appreciatively at Lana. Finally, they could be perfect. For years their tortuous on-off relationship had tormented him. He had decided that soon, he would reveal his secret to her. He knew they weren't the same people they used to be but he had to give her a chance. Clark took the dishes, placing them into the sink. He glanced at the clock and walked over to Lana, giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"I've got to go sweetie it's almost 10:00. I have to meet Mr. Fenwood to make arrangements for my mom's return. Her term is almost up. Thanks again for breakfast "said Clark. Lana looked a little apprehensive but he ignored it.

"It will be great to get some of your mom's cooking again." she said. Clark grabbed his jacket and as he said

"You're telling me Lana, I miss her apple pie so much." With that he grabbed the keys and left. Normally he would have just ran but now that Lana was living with him he had to mask his powers. He didn't mind and besides, soon it wouldn't matter. He watched at as the speedometer hit 60 and reflecting how slow it was. Ten minutes later he was parking the pickup in "downtown" Smallville. He met Roger Fenwood, of Luthercorp (courtesy of Lionel), at the Talon. They worked out a few final kinks for his mother's return to Smallvile. As Fenwood left, Clark ordered a glass of water while a familiar voice greeted him.

"C'mon Smallville, Water! I am _so_ unimpressed"

Without turning around Clark fired back "Hey well at least I'm not a jittery caffeine addict"

"I am not an addict! I just like a cup of coffee now and again" Lois replied indignantly.

"And if by 'now and again' you mean ten times a day, then sure thing Lois." She sat down across from him and of course, ordered a coffee. They got to talking about life while trading banter. Lois lamented that Chloe and she were now living in metropolis and unable to sample the Talon's coffee more often and Clark lamented that Lois was in Smallville.

"You are definitely happy I'm in Smallville, Smallvillle." Lois exclaimed. They kept talking and the conversation turned towards the infamous Lucy Lane. She had been dating a captain in the army for about a year and had begun to get pretty serious. However he unexpectedly left one day, leaving Lucy heartbroken. She had found in his drawer a letter dated three months prior detailing orders, making him leave the country.

Lois said "You'd think that he would have told her, rather than keeping it a secret. She deserved it; she's never really had a real boyfriend." Something in Lois' words stirred Clark. Lana deserved to know. He stood up quickly and said "You know what Lois, I gotta run. I just remembered something important. See ya around." Clark walked quickly out the door and jogged quickly behind the Talon. Making sure no one was around he supersped off. He could come back for the car. Clark's return trip was much faster and soon he arrived at the farm. He halted in the driveway, angered and scared. Lex's black Lamborghini sat in the driveway. He ran up to the steps and opened the door. The sound of Lex's laughter pierced his ears painfully. As he walked into the kitchen he was greeted by Lex's back with Lana's legs wrapped around it. He pushed her back on to the table so they both lay on it.

"Lana…" Clark whispered at his world shattered around him. Instantly the lovers froze and looked at him. Lex smirked at him saying

"Sorry Clark guess you just couldn't provide". In an instant Clark slammed Lex into the wall and pinned his forearm against Lex's throat.

"You walk out of my house, get in your car, and never come back here again. Do you understand that?" said Clark, his voice shaky. He withdrew his arm and shoved Lex roughly towards the door. As he walked out, Lana approached him. Clark pointed his finger out her, shaking his head. "The same goes for you. Leave. Right now." She came closer saying his named softly. "NOW" yelled Clark. She silently withdrew and followed Lex out. As the roar of the engine signaled their departure, Clark dropped to his knees, broken. He sat there for a moment and with a yell sprinted top speed out the door. The force of his speed shattered the windows and blew all of dishes off the shelves. Clark swept across the farm, into the woods, past highways, through mountains, over rivers, all the whiling running as fast as he could. He was now running through snow and ice. He paused and leapt as far as he could landing halfway up a mountain. Clark supersped the rest of the way up and finally halted a full two days since he had started. Breathing in as deeply as he could he let out a mighty roar that shook the ground around him. He threw himself off the peak plunging down into the forest below. He seized a tree, tall and old, and threw it into another grove. Clark Kent fell to the ground in the wilderness, alone.


	2. Return

Part 2

5 days later

Chloe Sullivan finished reading over her article on the new subway stop. It was late and most everyone had gone home. She had already called Lois to tell her she would be late for dinner. She and Lois had been sharing at apartment for the last six months, while they both worked at the Planet. Her phone rang, shattering the silence, and drawing quickly back to reality. She checked the number; it was Mrs. Kent. She was beside herself when she arrived home to a ransacked kitchen and no Clark. Neither one could contact Lana. Chloe answered the ringing phone. "Any news Mrs. Kent?" she asked, fearing the answer.

"None. O Chloe, I'm so worried" said Mrs. Kent.

"Don't, it's Clark, he always turns up" Chloe replied. Though this was usually true, she still worried deeply. She said bye and hung up.

Somewhere in the Rocky Mountains

The gentle brush of snowflakes drew Clark back into consciousness. His eyes cracked open and he flexed his muscles sitting upright. He was half covered in snow and his clothes were wet. He stood in a valley surrounded by lofty snowy peaks. Clark walked over the stream, crouched, and took a drink. The water was cold and refreshing. Painfully, he thought of Lana. He had tried so hard to make that relationship work. It seemed that she wanted the whole thing to fail. Clark sat there for a few hours thinking. Without warning he turned and shot up the side of a mountain. He reached the peak, totally weak and once again exhausted. He was above the clouds and the sun washed over his body. He felt better by the second. He drew himself to this full height and scanned his surroundings. His superior Kryptonian vision spotted a road in the distance. Time to go home he thought.

He reached the road and slowed to a walk. Not long after he picked up the sound of a truck approaching. The driver halted and rolled down his window, staring at the soggy man walking down the road.

"You need a lift son?" he said down to Clark.

"No thank you. Where are we?" Clark asked. The driver looked puzzled and told him Utah.

"And which was is east?" Clark inquired. The man asked him if he was sure he was alright and Clark told him he would be fine.

Smallville, Kent Farm

Mrs. Kent and Chloe sat in kitchen drinking tea. They had been discussing Clark, and optimistically decided that he would definitely be home soon, though neither quite believed it. It had been a week after all. They both heard a familiar whooshing sound and they stared at each other.

"You don't think?" said Mrs. Kent

"It sure sounded like it" replied Chloe breathlessly. The two women ran to the door to find the one and only Clark Kent standing on the front porch. "CLARK!" they screamed simultaneously and rushed towards him. Clark wrapped his arms around them and held them close. Lois Lane walked around the corner and said "Well Smallville, you really are a bad penny." Clark smiled as they all went inside.


	3. Metropolis

Kent Farm, Evening

A couple hours later, Clark sat with his mom in the kitchen. Lois and Chloe had gone back to their apartment in Metropolis. He had told them all the truth that he had just left to be on his own, so Lois would have nothing to suspect anyway. His mom, like always, had comforted him.

"Maybe you should leave Smallville, Clark. I mean besides Lana and holding down the fort while I was gone, why did you stay here?" she said. He thought it over; she was right. He had no real reason to stay and his eyes gazed to where he had seen Lana and Lex a week before. The memory was still fresh and stung like an open wound rubbed in salt. Taking a deep breath he mentally resolved that was officially over and done with her forever. No exceptions.

"You know Mom, I think your right. I need to move on, start over. I feel like my whole life has been catering to Lana. But I need to get a job, and a place to stay." Clark said

"What about Metropolis Clark? Chloe and Lois both seem very happy with life in the city. Maybe you could even get a job at the Daily Planet." His mom said. Clark grinned and said

"Yeah it's worth a try. I'll go up tomorrow and talk to Chloe about where to stay if there's an opening at the Planet." He began to feel a little better. He had a plan and new life planned out, without Lana.

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Later that Night, in a 33.1 Lab

Lex walked down the semi lit subterranean hallway. His shoes made a loud sound against the concrete floor and his long black coat came down to his ankles. Arriving at the door he punched in the code and it slid open. Inside the lab a man in a white coat was hunched over a table, writing. At Lex's approach he jumped nervously and greeted him meekly.

"Hello Dr. Belson" said Lex in such a way it sounded like a command. "I hope for your sake you have some good news for me"

Dr. Belson quivered and responded "Well sir, not really, the alien DNA is proving hard to link with human. I've made some min—" Belson flinched as Lex cut him off

"Dr. Belson I believe you have a family living in LuthorCorp housing. It would be a shame to see them evicted and you fired just because you couldn't produce results. Now let's see you work like your families' welfare depends on it, because it does. I'll be back" and he turned on his and went back out the door. Back outside he opened the door to his black Lamborghini Gallardo. Looking to his right he asked "Well Lana, Shall we go?"

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Kent Farm, 7:00 AM

Clark came inside from his chores. He called to his Mom "I finished the fencing off those last 15 acres and ripped out the trees so we can plant it soon." He placed the bucket of milk on the counter and went upstairs to shower and change. Ten minutes later he came downstairs dressed in jeans and a light blue shirt. He smiled at the impressive stack of pancakes his mother had placed on the table. He walked over and hugged her "Thanks Mom, those look amazing"

"So you're going to Metropolis then?" she asked

"Yeah as soon as I'm done with breakfast, I'll be heading out." he answered. Clark sat down and wolfed down the stack. "Well, see ya Mom" he said.

"Good luck!" she said back to him. With that, Clark supersped out the door and towards Metropolis. He rushed along the highway with the wind blowing in his face. He felt alive and free and leapt as far as he could. A quarter mile later he landed, the ground shaking slightly. He slowed to a walk right outside Chloe and Lois' apartment building. Just then, Chloe walked out the front door on her way to work.

"Chloe!" he yelled. She turned around and spotted him with a smile on her face.

"Clark" she said. "Always a welcome surprise, what's the occasion?"

"Actually I want to move to Metropolis and hopefully maybe get a job at the Planet?" Clark said. Chloe laughed and said "Wow the farm boy is finally moving the big scary city" Clark rolled his eyes as she continued "Well for a job at the Planet, you're going to have to talk to Perry White; he's the editor. It'll be tough Clark, we get applicants every day. As for a place to live, it just so happens a friend of mine, you've met Jimmy Olsen right? is getting a new apartment and looking for a roommate. I can ask him if you want."

"Thanks Chloe that will be great, providing I get the job." Together they walked to the Daily Planet laughing and talking. As they reached the building she pointed out "Look Clark, that's Perry." He spotted a middle aged man getting into a silver sedan. He pulled away and started off down the road. As he reached the intersection, a truck barreled into the rear of his car, and it spinned and flipped. Clark ran at human speed to the car and tried to open the door. The metal was twisted shut and he couldn't get it open. He snapped the twisted metal quickly, too quick for anyone to see. He reached inside and pulled Perry out. His ankle was bent funny, so Clark carried him to the sidewalk. On the street the car's engine burst into flames. The flames grew until they reached the gas tank and the car was totally enveloped by the explosion.

"Are you alright sir?" Clark asked, and Perry replied

"I'm a little beat up but I'll be fine, thank you son I can manage." Clark looked at him expectedly and he said "Can I help you?"

"Mr. White, I would like a job at the Planet." Perry chuckled and said

"You've got me thinking you set this up on purpose. Cause if you did…" as his face grew stern. Perry laughed again at the look on Clark's face. "Fine, you've got the job, at least for now. What's your named son?" he asked

"Kent sir, Clark Kent"


	4. Apartment

Clark had waited with Perry until the police arrived and then made his way to the Daily Planet building. Clutching the sheet of paper Perry had given him, he paused outside the impressive doors. He craned his neck up and peered at the large globe. He still in shock he had gotten the job. Inside he handed his paper to a secretary who took him down two flights of stairs into the basement. Chloe gave him the thumbs up and smiled at him from her desk as they walked past. Chloe's desk was near the editor of their floor. The secretary led Clark farther back through the maze of desks into the back, where his was located. She slid the cutout bearing his name into the holder, gave him a couple more sheets of paper, and left. Smiling, Clark sat down and began arranging his desk. He smiled wider as he read the nameplate directly across from him "Lois Lane." Lois came around the corner and sat down at her desk, working. She glanced up quickly and then did a double take. Clark Kent sat across from leaning back, with his hands behind his head, and a grin the size of Kansas.

"Smallville what the _hell_ are you doing here?" she almost yelled. With a slight twitch of his head Clark replied

"Well Lois, I actually work here, how 'bout you?" Lois opened her mouth and shut it again, and went back to working. Clark caught her grumbling something about "bales of hay and useless."

"I like you too Lois it's ok" he said. Opening his sheet and read his first assignments.

Obituaries, names A—L research and write, no more than 100 words each

Report on the Metropolis Graphic Artists Convention

Clark sighed, but supposed everyone had to start somewhere. He began searching the names of the deceased on the Planet's database and writing their achievements. He was on "K" when he spotted Jimmy making his way over to him.

"Heyyyyy Ck, congratulations man! That's crazy that you got the job. And Perry White is mortal after all, who knew? Listen, Chloe told me you're looking for a place to stay. I just got this sick new pad and I gotta tell you I'd be happy if you'd room with me." Jimmy said. Clark smiled and said

"Thanks Jimmy that actually works out perfectly, when can I move in?"

"As soon as you like, here let me give you the directions." Said Jimmy. Clark was pleasantly surprised they were only a block away from Chloe and Lois, and about five from the Planet. But best of all, he was about one hundred miles away from Lana. Finishing at five, Clark ran home and packed up his belongings. He then began the much slower return journey in the pickup. Finally, bags in hand, he made his way to his new apartment. He knocked and Jimmy opened the door.

"What's up Clark? Welcome to La Casa de Jimmy." Jimmy guided him into the living room /kitchen area and pointed to the television where an old Nintendo 64 was set up. "That's where you will spend hours crying after I crush you every time in Super Smash Brothers." Jimmy informed him.

"Haha…that's pretty old school." Jimmy kept talking but Clark zoned out as his superhearing picked up a desperate cry for help.

"HELP, HELP! They're taking my baby!!"

Clark jerked upright and x-rayed the bathroom, checking for a window.

"Uhh Jimmy, Can I use the bathroom, I don't think my lunch agreed with me very well" said Clark as he hurriedly walked to the bathroom.

Jimmy threw up his hands, "Great you've been here five minutes and you're already stinking up the bathroom. Ck, I swear, if you a smelly dumper I'll—" Clark heard no more as he locked the door and bolted out the window. Twenty stories later, he crashed onto the pavement of the back alley behind the building. He sped off, his hearing guiding him. He arrived at the scene, to find the woman shrieking and pointing after her car. The car screeched around the corner, speeding off. He used his heat vision to melt the two back tires and then ran to catch the car from skidding throw a shop window. As he caught it, a broken window sliced the side of his jacket so it flapped awkwardly behind him. Reaching through the broken window, he tapped the two men on the heads to knock them out. He grabbed the baby from the back and sped back to the hysterical mother. Keeping his face mostly in the shadows, he handed the baby back to his mother. Clark crouched and sprang up the 30 stories to the top of the building. Leaping between the rooftops at superspeed, he jumped throw his open bathroom window.

"Because my brother would _always_ take dumps our bathroom, and they would _always_ smell like a pile of rotting Chinese food", Jimmy finished his rant. Clark opened the door smiling

"Wow Jimmy, that's pretty graphic. Maybe you should be a reporter after all."

"Well someone's got to take pictures after all who wants to be told you can see for yourself." A couple rounds of Smash Brothers later, Clark headed off to bed. Jimmy had been true to his word, beating him every time, though the tears hadn't come quite yet. A little dismayed, Clark looked at his torn red jacket and threw on the chair as he collapsed on the bed. Lying on his back he smiled and said "Clark Kent, Daily Planet"


	5. Not your average robbery

Thanks for reading, please review. I'm going on vacation after Christmas, so there will be a break there, just like in the real show haha. Stick with me!

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The buzzing alarm clock woke Clark promptly at 7:00 AM. It took him a second to remember where he was, and why he was staring now at tall buildings rather than expanses of corn. He pulled on a shirt and walked into the living area. Jimmy sat at table, eating cereal, in his boxers. He flicked their free copy of the Daily Planet to Clark.

"Check that out, left corner, under the fold. Chloe is going to have a field day; this stuff is right up her alley." Clark looked and read "Mysterious Hero, Foils Carjacking, Saves Baby"

_Late last night, Rachel Hinds, was carjacked outside her apartment on 43__rd__ and Belleview Boulevard. Two men, armed with a knife and baseball bat, forced her out of the car and proceeded to drive away. She pleaded with them to give her the baby, who was in the backseat, but it was to no avail. Then, according to Miss Hinds a man "shot fire" at the car and then halted it using his hands. Finally, the man returned her baby, and leapt over the building. He was described as tall, dark haired and wearing a red sort of cape. A watch is out for this mystifying do-gooder, but is unlikely he will be found._

_**Continued on Page A7**_

"Wow" Clark said. "That woman was very lucky. It's fortunate no one was hurt."

"Yeah it's great, but Clark the article says he _jumped_ 30 stories. 30 Stories! How is that possible?" Jimmy practically yelled.

"Jimmy, you can't seriously believe that. The woman was in an incredible situation, I'm sure she wasn't thinking clearly." Clark assured Jimmy.

"Clark, it's kind of hard to imagine jumping over a friggin skyscraper!" Jimmy seemed pretty adamant. Clark grabbed a banana and went to turn on the shower.

Jimmy called out "CK, I'm gonna head to work. See ya there!" and with that, closed the door. Back in the kitchen Clark, grabbed a coffee bag, a filter, and a mug. He placed the coffee in the filter and ran water over it, giving it a low dose of heat vision. A couple seconds later and took a deep sip of the rich java. Clark sped into the shower and super washed, dried and dressed. He ran a different route to work and got their same time as Jimmy. Opening the door for him, Jimmy mechanically said thank you and then stared at Clark.

"How the heck did you beat me here?" he said incredulously.

"O, I found a different route, it's much faster." Clark replied as they went inside. Clark sat down at his desk and opened up the inbox on his computer. Inside was an email from his floor editor, Miss Lamar. It read "_Nice first piece. It was about as good as obituaries get. Therefore, we've moved you up a little. You'll be writing on actual events now, but will most likely be small and/or when our sources are of questionable repute. Your next assignment is to investigate a series of break __ins__ (details attached). Your partner on this assignment will be Lois Lane. Chloe Sullivan says that you two know each other. Keep up the good work Kent."_

Clark looked across the table at Lois and said "Howdy Partner." Lois stared back at him and checked her email. She rolled her eyes and exclaimed

"You have GOT to be kidding me. I'm stuck with the country bumpkin."

"And I'm stuck with an army brat." Clark answered. "Come on, we should go the first break in site." It was getting colder and they grabbed their jackets as they headed out. Clark, of course, did not actually need his. Clark flipped through the paper detailing the break ins. They had all occurred in the same district, in the poorer south Metropolis. Bordered by the infamous Suicide Slums, the area was getting progressively worse. There had been three break ins so far, and all reported a so called "perfect crimes." No broken windows, no forced entry, and even the safes had been relocked. Video surveillance had picked up nothing. Because of the quality of the crimes, the store hadn't noticed for a couple of days, making it hard to investigate. They stopped at the first store, and the owners told them the same story. One day they had opened their safe and all the cash was gone. No signs of a robbery or break in. The first store, a pawn shop, was family owned and run, so it was unthinkable an employee would have taken it.

"It's odd" Lois remarked, "How could they possibly have gotten in?" Clark held the door for her as they entered the second shop; "It still sounds like inside information" he answered her. The owner was on old man, and he was so traumatized by the experience he had temporarily closed his shop. He lived by himself above the store, but still heard no signs on the robbery. They were talking when they heard a noise from the basement. Clark asked "Aren't we the only ones here?" The man nodded silently. Lois urgently asked "Are there any doors, or windows downstairs?" The man, named Mr. Kelowski, said

"No, it's just a store room with concrete walls on all sides." Clark scanned the basement and saw to his astonishment, a skeleton sticking his hand through the safe in the basement. Clark ran at human speed into the basement just in time to see a calf and foot disappearing through the side wall. He said to himself

"O man, that is definetly not your average robbery." Back upstairs, Clark and Lois left the man and went outside. Clark told her about what he saw in the basement, though obviously not that he had seen it through the floor. The building to the right was a large one, bearing a sign reading Levelsor Industries. They tried the door but it was locked. Lois informed Clark "My interest is perked...we're getting to the bottom of this Smallville."

"Well" said Clark, "At least we have something to go on."


	6. Case Closed

Chapter 6

That night Clark lay in his bed savoring his new life, stretched out in his boxers and enjoying the beautiful urban scenery. The city fascinated him as an organism with its millions of people in it, all interconnected. He closed his eyes, breathing in the city and examining each sound his incredible ears could pick up. He heard a sudden, "What the hell?" followed by a gunshot. Before he was done hearing the shot he was dressed. He moved quickly to the bathroom, and leapt down the 20 stories to the back alley behind his building. He supersped off to where he had heard gunshot. Straining his ears, he pinpointed the location by a woman crying, and muttering "O my God! O my God!" He peered through the wall of the store, a jewelry store, and saw the woman clutching a man, who appeared to have a bullet wound in his right forearm. He looked alright and Clark focused on finding the culprit. He scanned the other buildings on the street and saw a man sprinting through the line, apparently running through every wall. Clark sped off and reached him just as he ran through the last wall and on to the street. Clark smashed into him, sending the man a good five feet onto the pavement. He grabbed the man's collar and dragged him upright. The criminal tried to pull out his gun, but Clark grabbed it and behind his back, crushed it into his back pocket. The man faded and tried to slip, but inexplicably (for him) couldn't move from Clark's grasp. "What are you?!" the man yelled.

Clark responded quickly, "Someone who believes in justice." The thief tried to play dumb and said,

"I don't know what you are talking about let me go!" Clark scanned the thief with his x-ray vision, not only finding pockets full of jewelry, but an ID card stating "Bryce Laden, Levelsor Industries." Clark looked Bryce dead in the eye and asked,

"How was Levelsor industries making you able to walk through walls?" Bryce looked astonished and saw that it was hopeless.

He began "A few months ago, one of our sponsors donated a chunk of green material. Said it was from a meteor, which would explain its properties. Well we began working on it and eventually put 

it through a particle accelerator. With the remaining product, we were able to create a device that would loosen our molecular bonds, allowing us to pass through all but the most tightly packed atoms. The research, it wasn't cheap, and they took a lot out of our salaries. I needed some extra cash, and I had easier access to one of the machines."

Clark looked at him sternly "You almost took someone's life! Is material wealth that important to you?" The man looked uneasy and said

"Don't turn me in please; I can get you one of the machines. In fact you can just take mine and I won't steal again."

"I am sorry" Clark said, "But what you did is terrible. I don't have a choice." An ambulance and two police cars rounded the block and stopped in front of the robbed store. Clark escorted him back to near the scene and gave him a push into the middle, as the wife shrieked, "That's him! He shot my husband!" With that, Clark sped back to his apartment, and jumped back up into his apartment, the floor rumbling as he landed. "Man, I've really gotta work on landing smoothly" he thought. He x-rayed the wall and saw that Jimmy remained asleep in his bed. After all, it was two in the morning.

Four hours later, Clark's alarm rang and he rose from bed. He supposed he could go without sleep much longer than the average human, but boy was it nice. He took his shower, dried off, and put on his boxers. Walking past Jimmy's door, Clark saw he had slept through his alarm and kindly threw his wet towel onto Jimmy's face. Jimmy looked at him blearily and mumbled something like "I hate you." They ate their breakfast and were out the door by 7:30. On the way, Jimmy's phone rang. Clark accidently eavesdropped the first couple words, and firmly reminded himself that was a violation of privacy. He tuned out and instead listened to a woman singing a couple blocks away. Jimmy hung up and told him "Apparently the robberies were solved. Some sort of scientist-ghost hybrid deal had been using meteor rocks to walk through walls. Guy is on trial, Bryce Laden. I'm supposed to go get some pictures of the trial. Guess you're walking the rest of the way solo. Sorry, See ya CK!" and headed off.



Clark approached his desk and saw Lois, already done on her second cup of coffee, typing furiously.

"Clark! " She said brightly, "Our robberies were solved, this is huge. It's not every day your small story becomes front page material."

Clark said dryly "Or see people walk through walls."

Lois gave him a look saying "Clark you've lived in SMALLVILLE all your life, you officially have no right to be surprised by anything, ever." Clark smiled in concession, and she was right. He scanned their article, titled "Scientists Walks Through Walls, Foiled by Anyonmous Bystander"

Clark began "Lois anonymous is spelled— "

She cut him off, "Can it Smallville! That's what F7 is for." They sat and worked, Clark taking the "mysterious" robber's arrest, while Lois coved the background and Levelsor's role in the robberies. Their editor, Miss Lamar walked by and checked on the duo's progress.

"Miss Lane, you work is exicting as usual. " she commented. Reading Clark's part, she said "I like you attention to detail Mr. Kent, but you still manage to keep it interesting." She looked at him with some disapproval, saying "However this isn't high school, it's the Daily Planet. Jeans may cut it around the Smallville, but I expect you to start dressing like a professional." Lois gave him an "I told you so" look and Clark smiled sheepishly. Miss Lamar continued her rounds, cultivating the Planet's younger talent.

Lois reinforced Miss Lamar's point, "Clark, I seriously can't believe that you haven't realized you actually own about two, maybe three outfits! You're lucky that someone is forcing fashion on you. How do you dress yourself? Honestly, I would love to see you get dressed." Clark grinned widely and it was Lois's turn to look sheepish. "You know I didn't mean it like that Smallville!" They sat down and put the finishing touches on their article. After a thorough spellchecking of Lois's section, she sat down and 

typed their names into the byline. "Clark Kent and Lois Lane" she typed. No, she thought that doesn't sound right. Lady's first. Lois and Clark.


	7. Clark's New Look

Back…after more than 2 years. But hopefully I'm back for good!

Chapter 7

Two Weeks Later

Luthor Mansion

Lex sat reclined in his chair, feet up on the desk. He held a cordless phone to his ear and yelled angrily

"Malcolm, I told you to keep Project Ghost under the highest security level! Now that idiot Bryce's face is plastered across the front page of the Daily Planet. That is NOT my idea of top secret."

He paused and listened to the buffoon's blundering reply.

"No, you're playing by my rules now. You're whole operation is to be moved into one of my private labs and you will be under the authority of my scientists. You're on my leash now. Oh…and one more thing Malcolm, if the police find out that LuthorCorp funded your research, that leash will become a noose. Goodbye."

A mail icon popped on his screen, an email from his secretary. She had authorized the purchase of another meteor rock, bought off a farmer. At least something was going well today. Lex looked up as the door swung open and Lana walked in.

"What are you working on Lex?" Lana asked, sliding onto the edge of his desk.

"Boring work things. Just going over the quarterly earnings." He lied easily, with a smile. He got up, stretched and gave Lana a quick kiss. "You should start getting ready honey; don't forget about the Holiday Charity Ball we have tonight."

"A chance to be shown off next to the great Lex Luthor. I'll go shower." Lana teased. She got up and strode out of the room.

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Metropolis

Clark rolled his eyes as Lois obsessed over which tie-shirt combo suited him the best. She held what seemed to be the 300th shirt up to his chest and shook her head,

"Purple is not your color, Smallville." she proclaimed.

"Lois, I've known that all my life. We already got a suit, four shirts, and three ties. I have some of my dad's old clothes, I'm all set for work now."

"Clark!" she said exasperated, "Where's the fun in that? Shopping isn't a get-in and get-out operation. It's about the process. But your right, we should go. We have to cover Lex's Charity Ball tonight. Bunch of baloney if you ask me, it's just to look good for the press." Clark frowned, he had tried not to think of Lex since that fateful night a few weeks before. Would Lana be there he wondered? He realized with a pang of sorrow, that he missed her. At the same time, he hated her. The two emotions swirled in his chest and he stood lost in thought. "Hey Smallville, wake up!" Lois shouted.

Clark shook himself and gave Lois a smile, saying "Sorry Lois, I guess I just drifted off for a second there. Let's go." He paid for the clothes and they headed for the door.

"What's wrong Clark? I know you and Lex aren't exactly the best of friends anymore but I've never seen you look that upset," Lois probed.

Clark spoke haltingly "Lois…when I broke up with Lana, it wasn't because…well it was because I…I caught her with Lex. That's the real reason."

Lois felt her heart go out to Clark. She had watched him pine over Lana for years and finally win her over, only to have her destroy his trust. "Clark, I didn't realize. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry. I know it hurts, I've been there before, but it looks like she's not the type of person you want to be with anway," she reasoned.

Clark heard the truth in Lois words. He had wanted Lana for so long that when he finally was with her, he had kind of forgotten why he wanted her in the first place. "Yeah, you're right. That's the past, I'm all about the future." he said. He held the door open for her, and they strode out into the frosty December air.

Lois teased, "Clark Kent, Man of Tomorrow! Enough about with the gloom, there's an open bar tonight, I don't care who is footing the bill. Meet me at 8 o'clock at the door." Clark smiled and gave her a wave as they set off in opposite directions. He walked home slowly, enjoying the walk. He had come to love the city. It was so large, so complex, millions of people traveled its streets every day. Of course, he missed the fields and woods of Smallville, but he could visit them easily enough. He arrived to his building, took the elevator up, and let himself into the apartment. Jimmy was eating in the kitchen, reading the paper.

"Hey CK! What's up?" Jimmy said.

"Lois talked me into spending my first year's salary worth on dress shirts," Clark sighed,

"but she was right, I do need to look professional at work."

"Lois is big on shopping," Jimmy agreed. "Hey, some friends of mine are going to be in town tonight, you want to come out with us?"

"I wish, sorry Jimmy. I have to work tonight. Mrs. Lamar is sending Lois and me to cover Lex's Holiday Charity Ball." Clark replied.

"Bummer man, see ya tonight" said Jimmy. Clark headed into his room and laid his bags onto the bed. He undressed and showered, and headed back into his room. He chose a dark blue shirt and a red tie that Lois had picked out for him. He slid on a black sport coat and checked the time, 8:05. He walked quickly out the door, yelling goodbye to Jimmy in the next room. He ignored the elevator and walked into the stairwell. A quick scan let him know it was empty, and he vaulted over the edge and fell twenty floors to the bottom. He sped out the door and through the darkened streets. He arrived outside the club and saw Lois, facing the other direction, leaving a message.

"Clark, where are you! You were supposed to be here five minutes ago!" she hissed into the phone. She whipped around and was startled to find Clark standing there, grinning handsomely in his new suit. "Clark!...you look good. But you're still late, let's go!" she exclaimed.

Clark extended his arm towards the door, "Shall we?"


	8. The Ball

Lois and Clark stepped inside and walked into a winter paradise. In typical Lex-fashion, the event was completely over the top: fake snow, servers dressed as elves, and a string quartet playing Christmas music. They walked around the party, mentally noting the celebrities in attendance for the article. Lois tugged on his arm,

"C'mon Smallville, let's get a drink! Just because we're on assignment, doesn't mean we can't live it up a bit." She led him over to the bar, made to look as if it was carved out a massive hunk of ice. "I don't know about you Clark, but I'm trying the signature Peppermint drink of party, you want one?" Lois asked.

Clark looked at her sternly, and said "Lois, I'll have a Sam Adams." She burst out laughing and gave him a light punch.

"You are soooo predictable Clark," she sighed. He raised his beer acknowledgment with a smile, and took a drink. Suddenly a booming voice proclaimed,

"Ladies and Gentlemen, your host, Lex Luthor!" Every head turned as Lex made his grand entrance. But Clark was focused on the person next to Lex: Lana. He felt as if he had just been punched very hard in the gut, almost nauseous. He gripped his beer tightly, but felt the glass about to give and relented. The applause died down and Lex took the stage. He launched into a speech, thanking the guests for the charitable contributions.

"Now we're all here to have a great time," Lex continued, "But the real reason I've brought you all here, is to announce that I, Lex Luthor, will personally be funding the renovation of the Terry Avenue Soup Kitchen!" he announced magnanimously. He smiled, waved, and exited the stage to loud applause. Lana rejoined him and they led the ball in its first dance of the evening.

Lois grabbed Clark's hand, "Clark, I'm sorry, I didn't realize she would be here. Are you alright?" she asked. He brushed her off,

"Yeah Lois I'm fine, I think I'm going to head home though. It's been a long night." Clark said in a hollow voice. He made his way through the crowd towards the door. He paused and turned around, giving Lex and Lana one last glance. At the same moment, Lana happened to look up and looked directly at Clark, and let out a gasp. She quickly regained her composure, whispered an excuse to Lex and looked back, but he was gone.

Clark sat on the edge of a nearby rooftop, staring blankly out over the city. He saw Lois, far below, run out into the street and look around. She pulled out her phone and a moment later, Clark's pocket vibrated. He let it go. He wanted to be over Lana, wanted to forget about her and move on with his life. At the same time, he couldn't imagine being with anyone else. He rubbed his eyes with his palms of his hands as the frigid air blew through his hair. "Lex, of all people…How am I the only one who can see the man behind the mask?" he wondered. He remained on the roof for a long while.


	9. Invitation

Chapter 9

Jimmy Olsen stumbled out of bed to find Clark in the standing in the main room of the apartment, eating an apple and staring out the window.

"Clark…what time did you get in? I got back at 1:00, and despite this massive hangover, am pretty sure you weren't back yet," he asked.

Clark turned, "Yeah, the party went pretty late and I got a bit lost on the way home. Sounds like you had a fun night though," he said.

Jimmy groaned rubbed his temples, "I guess it's a good thing I'm out of college, I can't do that again for at least a month. At least it's a Friday." Clark smiled and poured him a glass of orange juice.

"I'll see you at work Jimmy," said Clark, and left.

000000000000

The Daily Planet

Lois Lane had been at her desk since six, vigorously typing, deleting, and retyping. She felt terribly at last night, that Lana was such a snake. Cheating on a person as honest and trustworthy as Clark was a crime. Lois knew that she herself had been around the dating block many times, but she was a no-nonsense kind of girl and simply ended things if she felt the urge to cheat. She knew Clark was taking it hard but hiding it well. Those big farm boy muscles might protect him from physical harm, but when it came to romantic warfare, she thought with a smile, General Lane is in charge. She knew she had to help him get his mind off her, get him out of the house and meeting new people. On cue, Clark appeared, walking down the stairs towards his desk. Lois jumped out of her chair and walked over.

"Hey Clark!" she started, and then thought, "Oh crap Lane, you gotta think of something fast, something to get his mind of it."

"Lois, sorry I didn't get here earlier. How's the story going?" Clark asked.

"Oh the story? It's going well, we can finish it off later. But guess what? Oliver invited you, Chloe, and me out to his ski house this weekend. Sounds fun right?" said Lois.

"Really?" said Clark, looking a bit confused. "I thought you guys hadn't spoken in a while?"

"Yeah, it was very out of the blue, but it sounds like a blast. So you're in?" Lois asked, refusing to take no for an answer.

"I don't know Lois, maybe. I've had a pretty busy week, and I might just catch up on some sleep." Clark said noncommittally. "Let's finish up that story," he said, ending the conversation.

"Actually, Clark, I'm going to grab some breakfast. I've emailed you the story, so you can take a look at it," Lois said. Clark nodded and walked off to his desk. Lois headed upstairs and out onto the street. "Ollie," Lois thought "I'm going to bash in the windshield of that Aston Martin DBS you drive if you don't pick up this call." She waited impatiently while the phone rang. On the final ring, he picked up.

"Lois" he exclaimed, sounding surprised.

"Hey Oliver, what's going on?" she asked casually.

"Well, I just got out of the 15th meeting this week, and I'm shirtless in my office punching the living daylights out of his punching bag," he explained.

"Oh that sound's pleasant," said Lois. "Look Oliver, I'm going to lay this all out on the table. Clark and Lana broke up and he's totally bummed out, and I…well I told him you invited us all out to your ski house this weekend. I'm counting on you to be a gallant billionaire and help cheer him up. I know Clark respects you, it would mean a lot."

"Oh I did?" said Oliver, sounding amused. "I don't remember doing that. Well, sorry for the miscommunication."

"Ollie!" Lois yelled, startling some nearby tourists. "Your games are NOT amusing! I need you to help out a mutual friend."

"Okay Lane, easy, I was just getting you riled up. It's pretty funny," Oliver chuckled. "Fine, I'll pick you guys up around seven. I'll have to cancel a meeting, but I'm pretty glad to tell the truth. And I'll have to let my pilot know. The things I do for you Lane."

"I know, I know, I owe you one. Thank you Oliver," said Lois as she hung up. She hit her speed dial and said. "Hey Cousin, guess what I have planned for us this weekend?", and she explained the situation to Chloe.

Clark worked hard all day, not speaking much. He headed home at six thirty, and flopped down on his bed. He pulled out his phone to let Lois know that he wasn't going to come. As he dialed the number, an incoming call came from Oliver.

"Hey big guy, how's it going?" said Oliver. He thought he heard Lois hiss something in the background to him, and then thud, possibly Lois hitting him. Oliver whispered something angrily back and then said "Well, we're all here waiting for you outside? We have a plane to catch."

Clark looked over towards the window. Twenty stories below, he could make out a figure waving. Maybe it would help him get his mind off Lana. On an impulse, he packed his bag and sped down to the street.

"Clark, you there? Can you here me?" Oliver asked loudly into the phone.

"I'm right here Oliver. Let's go." said Clark.

Oliver drove them in his dark green Porsche Cayenne to the airstrip. They boarded his private plane and took seats, stretching out and enjoying the luxury. Chloe sat nervously clutching her chair.

"Chloe, are you feeling okay?" asked Clark.

"I've never really been comfortable flying" she said tersely. The plane lurched forward and begin to speed down the runway.

Clenching her armrest, she muttered, "Up Up and away"


	10. Healing

Chapter 10

Oliver Queen sipped his drink and look discreetly at his friend, Clark. Clark was had been staring out the window for most of the trip. Oliver, like Lois, had a lot more experience than Clark in the romance department. He knew that to fix his friend, he had to get his mind off the past and into the present.

"So, Clark Kent, the mild mannered reporter,? How's life at the Planet?" Oliver asked. Clark was forced back into consciousness, and he gave a small smile and responded. Oliver noted the smile with an inward nod of satisfaction. He kept Clark engaged, not letting his thoughts drift off back to Lana. He even got a laugh out of him.

Soon, the pilot announced over the loudspeaker that they were beginning their descent into Salt Lake City, Utah. Chloe peered out the window and saw the car Oliver arranged to pick them up on the runway.

"It's good to be the king, eh Oliver?" she said with a smile.

Oliver shrugged and said "It has its advantages and disadvantages, like everything else in life."

Clark nodded appreciatively; he knew what it was like to be given great power. The pilot opened the door and the frosty Rocky Mountain air blew into the stale cabin. They piled into the car and arrived at Oliver's house half an hour later. They got out and Lois whistled appreciatively, "Wow, Ollie, some pad you got there." It was impressive. It sat like a Norse Hall perched high upon the mountain overlooking the entire mountain. Oliver let them in and they dropped off their bags in their rooms. The sun was starting to set across the valley, illuminating the mountains beautifully. Clark, Lois, and Chloe gathered on the large balcony, staring out into the wilderness.

Oliver joined them and said enthusiastically, "Well I just ordered more pizza than we could ever possibly eat and then I was thinking we could relax in the hot tub and watch the sun go down."

"Sounds good to me" said Chloe. Lois flashed a thumbs up in approval.

"Thanks Oliver," said Clark, "This is amazing." He looked out thoughtfully across the valley. "You know, I'm going to go for a quick run before dinner, burn off some energy."

"Is that some strange farm boy ritual Smallville?" Lois asked sarcastically.

Clark grinned, "Something like that Lois," and headed inside to change. He reappeared bare-chested in athletic shorts.

"Easy on the indecent exposure Clark" said Lois in mock severity.

"I packed in a hurry; I forgot to get another shirt," said Clark apologetically, throwing his hands up. He took running at human speed until he got deeper into the woods, and then set off at full speed. He practically skimmed the Earth's surface, agilely blazing his way through the woods, nimbly dodging trees and leaping streams. Clark felt his lungs expand to their full capacity as he sucked in air, the scenery fading into a blur. He felt good, better than he had all week. He felt the strange sensation of sweat trickling down his face. A town appeared; he slowed to a halt. An old, grizzled man sat on his porch, taking in this outlandish youth who had appeared from the woods. The stranger from the woods approached him and asked politely, "Excuse me sir, could you tell me what town this is?"

"Son, this is Lonetree, Wyoming. Where did you come from, there's nothing for hundreds of miles that direction?" the man asked.

The youth grinned. "I went for a walk. Thank you for your help." He turned and disappeared into the woods.

Clark reappeared on the deck of Oliver's porch twenty minutes later, just as the pizza was delivered. The first thing Lois noticed was the light in Clark's eyes, it seemed like he was alive for the first time in weeks. She knew he was going to be alright. The second thing she noticed was Clark's body: bulging muscles, cut, and a light sweat on his chest. "Snap OUT of it Lane!" she thought quickly. Clark grabbed a slice of pizza and jumped into the hot tub. The others followed suit and they eat, drank, laughed, and watched the sun go down in the company of good friends.


	11. Stick Up

Chapter 11

"Clark! Wake Up!" Chloe hissed. Clark jerked upright, aware of his friend's tone.

"What's wrong Chloe?" he asked.

"We have a situation," she said urgently. Clark immediately scanned the house, looking for burglars or a fire. Lois was asleep peacefully, hugging a pillow; Oliver was in the other room, getting dressed.

"Chloe, it is five o'clock in the morning. What's the deal?" Clark asked.

Chloe Sullivan was in her element, briefing mode:

"I modified my phone so that is linked up with the Metropolis Police Department, and they're on Alpha alert status. Half an hour ago, a truck full of armed men, dressed in SWAT gear, assaulted the Federal bank in Metropolis. They forced their way inside and are running the place. They've barricaded themselves in and taken hostages. Metropolis PD tried to re-enter the building, but took heavy causalities. Eventually, the thugs just shot a hostage and threw the body out the front door. It's a standoff now."

Clark was dressed and in the door long before Chloe stopped talking. "I'll see you in Metropolis tonight Chloe."

"Clark! Wait! I told Oliver first so he could get the plane ready. You guys can leave now. It's a pretty short flight, and I think you'd get there about the same time, especially since you don't know the route on the ground. I've thought all this through all ready trust me. I won't be going because I need to stay here with Lois. I'm going to tell her you and Oliver left to go skiing before dawn, and won't be back till tonight. I've got you covered Clark, now go," Chloe said, out of breath.

Clark nodded his thanks and headed into Oliver's room.

"You ready to go Boy Scout? Our ride is five minutes away," said Oliver.

Clark looked at him, "Every second counts, is the plane ready?" he asked.

Oliver cocked his head sideways, "Yes, but Clark you are NOT carryi—" He was unable to finish his sentence as Clark grabbed him and bolted. A minute later they appeared on the runway, strategically hidden behind some crates. "I was GOING to say, no carrying but I guess we're already here," Oliver muttered indignantly. Clark gave him a small smile and gestured his friend towards the plane. They boarded and took off.

Oliver surveyed Clark, anxiously staring out the window, willing the plane to move faster.

"We're going as fast as we can Clark," he said, not unkindly.

Clark turned and faced him. "I know, I know. It's time like these I wish I could fly. It honestly terrifies me, but it would save lives. I just don't know if I ever will be able to. I guess I'm too human, according to Jor-El. That's not something I want to lose."

"Clark, we have to work with what we get. You have incredible gifts as is, and just focus on the good you _can_ do. Don't worry about the rest," said Oliver. Clark nodded silently.

The plane landed and Clark dropped Oliver off at his apartment so that he could get suited up, while Clark continued on towards the bank. He passed his apartment along the way and ducked in to grab his old, torn red jacket. It just felt right. He got within a block, and was halted by an impressive barricade of police cars. He ducked into an alley, crouched, and leapt onto the rooftop.

Surveying the scene, he noted a dozen or so bodies strewn about the entrance, and police snipers ducked into cover all around the bank. The bank was a relatively low building, perhaps six stories, of squat stone, with an old slate roof. He scanned the building and saw ten men inside the building, all covering strategic points. His keen ears picked up the sound of approaching helicopters, and he knew he had to make his move quickly. He picked out a window, high up, part of an empty hallway. Clark shifted his weight and dove out, clearing the street, and crashing through the window face first, skidding along the hallway floor. He had moved fast enough that the humans below would only hear the window break, but see nothing.

Clark stood up and dusted himself off. He could feel his heart beat faster, the adrenaline. He did another scan and saw ten men in the front hallway below, armed and in position. In the room behind that, the two story atrium was the group of hostages, about 50, and another six armed thugs circling the seated civilians. Curiously, he could make out no one in the vaults, though perhaps they were made of lead. He could just make out a lone figure in another room deep within the building. Then all hell broke loose.

The police opened fire as the SWAT team rushed the door. He saw a thug drop immediately, victim of a sniper's bullet. Then Clark heard, with a chill, a voice yell "KILL THE HOSTAGES!"

"Go time" thought Clark. He smashed through the wall and landed on the floor of the atrium. The hostages were huddled in a circle on the floor, as the six thugs squeezed their triggers at the helpless crowd. Clark watched the streams of bullets pour slowly from their barrels. He took off, running in a circle around the hostages, swatting bullets. They flung and bounced off the walls, adding to the utter confusion. After an eternity, Clark heard the final assault rifle click empty. He completed one last lap, slamming his fist into each man's head, knocking them out, and sending them flying.

Before anyone could recover, he sped behind a desk and crouched to survey the scene. The hostages were miraculously looking around, confused but relieved. He scanned the front hallway, and saw SWAT team members chasing after one thug, who jumped out a low level window. That left the one figure he'd seen downstairs. Clark figured the police would nab the fleeing criminal.

The Green Arrow was perched on a nearby rooftop. With a quick turn, he saw a figure crash out of the first floor window behind a blue SUV. The police were scrambling to reach that side of the building. The fugitive hopped in the car, and gunned it. He shot into the open, taking fire, but pressed on. He smashed through a police barricade, and was speeding away. Oliver rolled his shoulders and drew an arrow. He pulled the bow back to its full length, sucked in a breath, timed, and let a beautiful shot fly. The arrow whistled through the air, and buried itself in the rear wheel of the car. The tire exploded, and the SUV skidded out, quickly surrounded by police cars.

Inside the bank, Clark sped down to the room where he had seen the last man. He slowed to human speed and said authoritatively, "It's all over. Come out with your hands up. Enough blood has been spilled today." He stepped into the doorway. A man, dressed in black, was hunched over a massive computer system. "Put your hands up!" said Clark, firmly. Suddenly, the man faded into a blur and crashed into Clark, slamming him through the stone wall behind him. Dazed, he stood up and stumbled into the room. A neat hole had been bored into the side of the computer mainframe and on the monitor; a dark screen flickered, displaying a triangle of three green circles, linked by two lines. It could only mean one thing: Brainiac.

(For a depiction of Brainiac's symbol, paste this link into your browser: .com/wiki/File:Brainiac_ )


	12. Challenge

Chapter 12

Clark and Oliver sat comfortably at 20,000 feet, sipping water and recapping the morning's events.

"Oliver, this is bad. Brainiac is dangerous. He's completely amoral; he'll stop at nothing," said Clark, stressed out.

"Clark!" Oliver shouted. "I know you're worried about Brainiac but step back for a second, alright? You just saved a ton of people's lives, that counts, right now. Brianiac is a problem, and we'll deal with it, but for now just enjoy the present. I'm sure Lois will want to fly home to help cover the story, and then you can get started on finding your Kryptonian supercomputer buddy, okay?"

"Yeah, I know Oliver. I just can't help but feel that I am responsible for any harm he causes," said Clark, still worried.

"I know you do Clark, that's what makes you who you are. It's your nature. But believe me when I say there is little we can do now, and taking the rest of the day off will be better for you than searching for Brainiac," said Oliver. He tossed Clark a bag of chips and changed the subject.

An hour later they pulled up at Oliver's house, having changed into ski clothes at the airport. They strode into the house, bearing skis, to find Lois and Chloe watching the news.

"There you guys are! You won't believe this!" shouted Lois. "This morning a bunch of paramilitary nut-jobs broke into Metropolis Federal Bank, took almost fifty hostages."

"What?" said Oliver incredulously, playing his part excellently.

"What happened? Is everyone alright?" Clark followed quickly.

"Well this is where it really starts to get interesting," said Lois. "The full details haven't come out yet, but early reports claim that the robbers opened fire on the hostages, but when the SWAT team got there, all they found were unconscious robbers and bullets all over the floor. They're calling it a miracle. But _I_ think there's a new hero in town. I used my Planet contacts to get a phone interview with one of the hostages who was released from police custody already. She said that a "reddish blur" swirled around them for a few seconds, shielding them all from the bullets. I know you think I'm probably crazy, but then get this: Jimmy was allowed in right after the police opened the place up, and found something. There was a broken window, one story above the atrium floor, and then a man sized hole smashed through the wall, leading into the atrium. It all adds up, and believe me, I am getting to the bottom of this," said Lois, with a look of satisfaction on her face.

Oliver chuckled, "Well Lois if the Planet doesn't work out for you, you can always take to writing fantasy."

Lois stamped her foot in frustration, "I don't give a hoot what you think Oliver, I'm going to prove you wrong. I need to get back to the city. And Clark, what's with the fat lip?"

"Uh…I took a corner to sharply, and lost my balance. I fell pretty hard, face first," said Clark, with a shrug.

"You should try to stay on your feet, Smallville," said Lois sternly.

Clark rolled his eyes, "Thanks Lois, I'll try a bit harder next time."

"Excellent, now go get packed, we're not going to completely miss a story this big. Ollie, can you call your pilot?" said Lois, running the show.

Clark slid past Lois, headed for his room. He whispered to Oliver as he walked past, "I hope you pay your pilot well."

Oliver sighed and muttered, "Very well."

* * *

The next morning, Jimmy tossed their copy of _The Daily Planet_ to Clark.

"Not bad CK, your article made it into the front section. Before you know it, you'll be on the front page," Jimmy congratulated Clark. Clark opened up and took a look. Obviously, they didn't have enough pull at the _Planet_ to be assigned the main story, but they were each given a follow up piece. Lois's article covered the claims of the "Blur" that a few of the witnesses were referencing, while Clark's detailed the unreliability of witnesses in stressful situations, rather asserting that the robbers had just fired at the walls to frighten the hostages. "Your article makes more sense Clark," said Jimmy, through a mouthful of cereal, "but I gotta say, if Lois is right, that'd be pretty amazing. Think about it, a man _faster_ than a bullet; it's insane!"

Clark stood up to and went to get dressed. "That's exactly what it is Jimmy: insane."

* * *

Martha Kent sat in the den, reading a book by the fire. She put the book down and sipped her tea. This place held so many memories for her: sneaking out here to be with Jonathan when they were teenagers, moving in, watching a three year old Clark lift a bale of hay. Things were different now. Jonathan was gone and Clark was living in Metropolis.

She got up and washed her hands; she needed to get started cooking. Clark was coming home for dinner. He had been coming back to help with the farm work when he got the chance, though she did hire two local Smallville High boys to work the farm after school. Lionel had quietly and firmly been supporting her; the farm made a little bit of money, but not nearly enough. She knew Jonathan would never have accepted the help, but these were different times. She also knew that Jonathan's refusal would have come from a stubborn sense of pride and a hint of jealousy. She was getting older, and Lionel was a friend who simply wanted to give her peace of mind.

The front door opened just as she was taking the turkey out of the oven. Clark filled the doorway, wearing a plaid shirt and jeans.

"Clark! You look bigger and more handsome every time I see you. You're really not my little boy anymore," said Martha, with a trace of regret.

"Oh Mom," said Clark, bending down to hug her, "You always exaggerate."

They sat down and Clark began eating with a vengeance, making up for all the missed home cooked meals. Martha asked him a million questions about work and his new life in Metropolis.

The sun was setting and she got up and said, "For dessert, I made your favorite, apple pie!" Clark rewarded her with a grin. She carried over their plates to the sink. With a crash, the plates shattered in the sink. "Clark! There's a man outside!" She had looked out the window, and seen a man, calmly standing in the driveway, dressed in a black coat, staring deeply through the window. In an instant, Clark was beside her.

"Mom, run, get out the back door and run. Go!" he said forcefully. He walked outside; the two Kryptonians, man and machine, squared off in the dying light.

"The House of El is weak Kal-El. You won't be able to stop the change that is coming. You cannot hope to stop the tide, but rather, join it," said Brainiac.

Clark shook his head slowly, "You're wrong Brainiac! I am lone survivor of my planet and my house, but I am strong. The House of El still stands unbroken," he said firmly.

The Brainiac smirked, "You're not being rational Kal-El. You are letting foolish human emotion cloud your Kryptonian reason. Let me inform you. I broke into the Federal Bank, not because I need your pathetic currency, but because it helps me achieve my goal. I need to destroy human civilization. It is seemingly impossible, but in reality, quite easy. Human government and economy are closely linked all over this planet. At the forefront is the United States of America. I gain access to America's treasury, destroy it, and the government loses power, the country plunges into war. I expect other nations to follow though perhaps it will take a bit more prodding."

Clark felt his stomach drop. As ridiculous as Brainiac's claim seemed, he knew it was entirely possible. The technology that made up Brainiac was far beyond anything on Earth. He could make good on his threats. Clark realized that he was the only one on Earth that could stop Brainiac.

"It is dawning on you Kal-El. I can see it in your face. This is where you come in. You have only two likely reactions. Your first choice is to try and stop me. However, I know the odds are in my favor. The second is to join me. I am happily free from your human constraints of hatred, I will not hesitate to use you. You are the most direct path to my goal. I need to recreate the glory of Krypton to the best my programming allows, and that includes rebirthing the race. You are the most readily accessible piece of Kryptonian tissue. If you're willing it would make the process easier, but if not, I'll take it from you. If you let your reason prevail, I'll be at the bank this time tomorrow to begin my plan. One more thing," said Brainiac, reaching into his pocket, "I can't have you following me."

In an instant he slammed into Clark, a piece of Kryptonite in his fist. He placed the rock on Clark's chest, and disappeared. Clark grimaced, and with intense effort, rolled the glowing green rock off his chest. He crawled slowly, painfully away. Leaning heavily on the porch, he clenched his fist tightly. He would prove Brainiac wrong. The House of El was still strong.


End file.
